This invention relates to roof support members and more particularly relates to a novel roof support bow design adapted to both support the roofing sheet of a vehicle and optionally to accept and contain lighting means adjustably positioned therein to illuminate the interior of the vehicle.
Currently vehicles such as trucks or trailer vans have their roof sheets supported by typical I beam construction members extending from side to side across the body of the van portion of the vehicle. To illuminate the interior of a vehicle, dome lights, skylights, translucent fiber glass tops, daylight, or directed artificial light from the open end of the vehicle have been utilized which lighting means have the following disadvantages. A problem with dome lights is that they may protrude into the vehicle's cargo space and get in the way of objects within the vehicle and can be damaged by movement of the cargo during transit. Skylights usually held in place by rubber gaskets may have a tendency to be accidentally dislodged or deliberately moved to ventilate the interior of the vehicle's body. Translucent fiber glass roofs will admit light during daylight hours but in the evening there is no light for transmission therethrough, and the interior of the vehicle is consequently dark. There is some use of flood lights on loading platforms directed to shine into the interior of the vehicle's van which can cause a worker to work in his shadow. When such worker faces the light in order to come out of the van, he can be temporarily blinded by the brilliant light. Natural light entering through the doorway is available only during daylight hours.